Russia is so corrupt that they have managed to imprison so many entrepreneurs on trumped up charges that they are now considering a partial amnesty as a stimulus program. Basically, the police will offer to put competitors out of business for a fee and then they’ll arrest innocent business owners and throw them in gulags. I don’t think things were all that much worse during most of the Soviet Era.
I think George Takei is right. The Winter Olympics should be moved to Vancouver. Vladimir Putin is revealing himself to be a monster. If the Olympics stay in Russia, I won’t watch a minute of it.